Life Without Reason
by Elayora
Summary: Katniss has just been taken out of her second arena. But we all know that. What about how everyone else is feeling? Ever wonder about that?


Darius

My life as a Peacekeeper was a happy one. I went daily to the Hob, a black market, and I had everything I could want. So now, as an Avox, I know my life will never be the same.

Forced to clean everyone else's mess in silence. Forced to work through pain.

At meal times, every bite I take sends a hot stab of pain through my mouth and down my throat.

Gale 

The day the Capitol destroyed my district; I was just getting ready to go to the coalmines, trying to scrub yesterday's dust of my face.

Just as I'm leaving the bathroom, Posy walks in. she hugs me and reaches up. I know what she wants. To be scooped up and spun around like a baby.

Instead, I kneel down and kiss her cheek. She squeals and leaps into my arms.

Suddenly, an explosion goes of a mile away in the square. We are being bombed.

My hunter instincts take over as I grab posy's hand and run for it. I take control of things, making my family wait underground while I retrieve Katniss's family from their home.

When I get back, prim begins to sob uncontrollably. She screams and shakes, scaring little Posy and making her wail. The dust is so thick that we can barely breath, and I worry that crying will make them breath too deeply.

Finally a hovercraft comes and carries us to Katniss, where I break the news to her.

"Katniss, there is no District 12."

Haymitch

My head is clouded by drink when I hear Katniss's plea for help.

"Haymitch, if you're not too drunk, we could use a little something for our skin."

Five Gamemakers snort with laughter behind me. Of course I supply it though. Can't be given the title of the mean mentor.

Now, safely on the hovercraft, I know my troubles are far from over.

Peeta 

When the hovercraft picks me up, I think, _Well now I'm safe._ But as soon as we reach the Capitol, I know something is wrong.

No Katniss.

Doctors in lab coats are binding me to a rolling bed.

There is a terrified look in Johanna's eyes. The look of cornered prey.

as soon as I'm strapped down, I'm moving. Men with high voltage cow prods are poking me.

I cry out as the first one makes contact with my arm. I hear Johanna screaming, and I know she must be getting similar treatment.

They lock us in a white room with horrible devices of torture hung on the walls. I see whips and knives and cattle prods.

I look over at Johanna, and see her look back at me with fearful eyes as wide as saucers. She is whimpering uncontrollably, the sound echoing around our prison.

Then a man in a white coat raises his rod, and I sink into darkness.

Clara 

When prim brings news of a mandatory TV program, Gale is the first one to point out that none of us have to watch anymore. But all of us can agree that it is probably better to see what is going on in the world. Of course Katniss flies in, her face showing the look of a puppy dog waiting for its master.

What they show us is terrifying. I gather prim close to me, and remember all the times I had sat like this before, with prim on my lap and with Aaron cradling Katniss as we stared at the TV.

Now it's up to me to make sure that both of them make it through whatever horrible thing they are going to show.

Johanna

I'm still awake, even though Peeta isn't. I can see the whips and chains used to torture us.

_How stupid, _I think. _Having the weapons on the wall where we can reach them. when they leave. If they leave. _My mind is whirring with plans of escape.

Finally, the doctors leave the room, and I race to Peeta's side, where I try to wake him up. He moans and rolls, but i can see his restraining band is off. He pushes my hands away until I hav no choice but to go back to my bed and try to sleep.

Peeta

I'm asleep. I know i must be because the pain is dulled, and i can hear the voice of Katniss. Images begin to form. Katniss, her eyes closed and smiling. Prim, reaching across the table for the bag of peppermints. Mrs. Everdeen, frowning at me as she tells the crowd that Katniss is to young for boyfriends. Haymitch, listening to me as I confess my love for Katniss. Even Effie finds a way in, babbling about how our lives will never be the same if we don't make good time to some event or other.

Then I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder and I moan faintly, twisting away from the pain. I have just enough time to hear Effie's shriek before i black out.

Johanna

Peeta's dreaming, I can tell by the sounds he's making. He groans as Effie comes in, and Effie flees the room. The door swings shut, but it doesn't lock. I can hear Effie's panicked steps as she runs, thanks to her silly shoes. I hear her slip and fall, and a mans voice offering to take her back to her room. Both their steps retreat, and we are finally close to freedom.

I wake Peeta and tell him all about my plan. He drags himself to the door and I shove him into the hall just as a man with red hair comes down the hall.

"Darius," Peeta says. " I thought I had seen the last of you."

Darius nods and puts his finger to his lips. He gestures for us to follow him out of the prison and into a train car. There, Darius tips the man working there and asks me to tell my destination.

"District 13," I say without hesitation. "Quickly please."

We sit and talk and sign until the man announces our stop.

Finnick

When I get a call telling me to meet some friends at the train station, I don't really understand. But if there really are some people I know at the station, it would be nice to see them. I also get a call from Annie Cresta, my love back in District 4. Of course, I pick up the phone.

"Finnick," Annie says, "Come home. Annie Nell missed you."

"Annie Nell," I respond, "Who's that?"

"Me!"

I hung up quickly, so as not to draw attention to myself. I promised Annie she could stay with me in 13, and put away the phone. "I hoped that if I shut down my phone, she'd get the hint. Apparently not. When I got back to my house, I had 56 emails from my little crazy girl back home.


End file.
